The name Smashbox makes me laugh. I always picture some Luddite with a mallet going ballistic on a desktop computer.

Then my mind wanders over to Smashmouth. Remember that musical group from back in the day? “All Star” and “Walkin’ on the Sun” were huge. Now I hardly ever hear their songs played…and when I do, I always laugh.

Back to the star of this post!

The Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 is the very first beauty balm that I’ve ever tried. And I’ve been curious about beauty balms for a long time.

I decided to get this one because it had a colour that closely matched my skin, and even though I do wear a separate sunscreen, I want my BB cream to always have SPF for added protection.

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 Light Pictures

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 Light Ingredients

(This is going to be a realllllly tallllll photo!)

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 Light Swatches

Natural Light Photo

Flash Photo

Claims: OKAY

√ Primes
√ Hydrates (initially, but feels drying later)
√ Helps remove excess surface oil
√ Banishes shine (for a certain period of time)
X Perfect
X Doesn’t settle into fine lines & pores
X No chalky matte finish (it can look chalky if you don’t touch-up)

Key Notes 

• Name: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 (Light)
• Colours Available for the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 (from lightest to darkest): Fair, Light, Light/Medium, Medium & Dark
• Amount: 30 mL (1 fl. oz.)
• What I Paid: Approximately $50 CAD
• Where to Buy: Smashbox website, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora stores & Sephora website

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 Review

Colour

I asked the Beauty Boutique Expert at the Shoppers Drug Mart to help me find the right colour. Surprisingly, I would’ve chosen “Light” and that was exactly the shade she chose!

In my swatches, you may think that it looks really yellow or orange, but when I blended it out, it was a perfect match for me. (Yes, I did take a photo of it blended out completely, but when I photographed it, you couldn’t see anything…haha!)

The “Light” shade is great if you have yellow undertones, but aren’t pale enough to wear “Fair”.

I’m disappointed in the colour selection. While those with richer skin tones always have difficulty finding foundations that match their skin tones, I feel like they have an even harder time when it comes to BB creams.

From a lot of the ones I’ve seen (even from other brands), there tend to be more shades for those with lighter skin like me than for those with rich skin tones. Seriously…this is 2012! Branch out, and accept that there are people who come from all different races!

Finish & Application

When I first applied it, it was thick and had a satiny finish on me that wasn’t shiny, but it wasn’t chalky (more on this later). I was able to glide it on effortlessly, and it applied smoothly.

SPF 35

I’m really happy to see that it has SPF 35. Even though I swear by the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50 For Face/Body, it’s nice to know that for the days when I feel lazy, I can wear just the BB cream and get a little more protection than if I went bare-faced.

Of course, you really don’t use enough product to get the full sun protection, so I wouldn’t advise using just the BB cream on a regular basis. You need to protect your skin with a proper sunscreen.

Packaging

The squeeze tube is nice because you can get the amount you need without contaminating the rest. However, I think it’s silly how it comes in a cardboard box. It really doesn’t add any extra value.

Coverage

It provides a sheer wash of colour, but I found that it was mildly buildable to medium coverage if you wear more than one thin layer.

I get the occasional pimple, but nothing severe. While I wore this, it didn’t cause me to break out, and I didn’t have any pimples while testing this out for weeks. However, judging from the coverage it gave my skin, I would say that this won’t be enough to cover skin imperfections like red pimples, dark under-eye circles, and dark spots. (You’ll have to use a concealer for those.)

Does It Mattify Skin?

When I first applied it, my skin had a satiny sheen, however when it dried, it became more matte. The shiny areas on my face (the T-Zone) were less shiny. That being said, after 3-4 hours of wearing just this BB cream, my skin started getting really shiny.

So, another time, after applying it, I set it with my Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder Microfinish Powder. Unfortunately, within 4-5 hours, my face got shiny again.

I also tried wearing my Shiseido The Skincare Day Moisture Protection SPF 15 underneath the BB cream and then the setting powder on top. Same results.

It was only when I tried the combination of my Shiseido sunscreen and the Smashbox BB cream that I noticed my skin felt tight and dry. (That’s because the Shiseido sunscreen is already very mattifying. You can have too much of a good thing.)

How Does It Wear?

In the beginning, it made my skin look really natural and good. But then at the 2-3 hour mark, I noticed that the Smashbox BB cream settled into my pores and lines of my face and looked a bit chalky. I don’t have lots of wrinkles, but you know the lines that everyone has when you just make a facial expression? Well, the product would sink into those. Not a good look.

The next time I tried it, I rubbed it in more and applied less product since I thought perhaps that was the reason. But…nope. It seems to always sink into the areas I don’t want it to.

Sooo…when I wear this now, I have to check the mirror and dab my face with a tissue to blend it again. (I refuse to touch-up with more product. I don’t do that for anything except my lip gloss, and I’m not about to do more touch-ups for a BB cream that’s supposed to save me time by being a 5-in-1!)

Is It Really a 5-in-1?

According to Smashbox, their BB cream is supposed to prime, perfect, protect, hydrate, and help remove excess surface oil.

Yes, it does prime the face very well. I tried using it as a primer under my loose mineral foundation, and it did the job.

As for perfecting…well, I didn’t feel like this gave incredible coverage. It’s basically a glorified tinted moisturizer. And you’re never going to get a completely flawless face with a sheer formula like this. That being said, I do like how my skin peeked through instead of being fully covered. (I’ve never liked or worn full-coverage foundations.)

It does protect your skin. I was hesitant to try it, but I wore it without my usual SPF underneath on a really sunny day. I didn’t burn. However, you should know that there are rays from the sun that cause you to burn and others that cause free-radical damage to the skin. Just because you don’t burn or tan doesn’t mean you’re fully protected. (Again, I recommend not relying on this for your sole SPF.)

After trying the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 before and feeling like it was terribly drying, I thought maybe the BB cream by Smashbox would be the same. Thankfully, it was way better. It glided on, and I felt like my skin was moisturized lightly.

How Do You Apply It?

There’s no one ‘right’ way, but I prefer to use my clean fingers. First, I dot a little bit onto my forehead, and then work my way to the cheeks, chin, and nose. Afterwards, I just rub to blend it in, and it seemed to work well.

Some people like to use brushes, but considering how expensive this product is, I didn’t want the bristles to absorb any of the product. Plus, I feel like the warmth from my fingers helped to blend in the product.

Price

You just can’t review the BB cream by Smashbox without talking about the insane price. At around $50, this is an expensive glorified tinted moisturizer!

I felt like while the product worked okay, it wasn’t holy-grail material, so the price tag isn’t justified.

After I use up my tube, I won’t be repurchasing it.

Pros Easy-to-apply Feels smooth & moisturizing when first applied Has SPF 35 Hygienic tube packaging Sheer coverage is buildable up to medium coverage Mattifies skin for a period of time

Cons Can feel a bit tight & look a little chalky after some time Can also look really shiny after wearing it for some time Excess packaging (no need for the cardboard box) Won’t cover pimples, under-eye circles, etc. Extremely expensive for what is basically a glorified moisturizer

Final Verdict: 7/10

I liked the Smashbox BB cream, but I wasn’t blown away by it. For $50-ish, I need to be blown away, shot up into the galaxy, and serenaded by David Beckham playing a harp in heaven. 😉

It’s just okay, and I think this product doesn’t live up to all the hype surrounding it…at least on my skin. Maybe if you have oilier skin, it works wonders.

I really gave it a hell of a chance with many different combinations (e.g. with primer, without primer, with setting powder, without setting powder, with loose mineral makeup on top, etc.). Anddd…I still wasn’t terribly impressed.

It gets a good score of 7 because, for the most part, it felt good on the skin, it was easy to apply, it has SPF, and the coverage was surprisingly buildable.

What has been your experience with BB creams? Would you (or have you) ever spent $50-ish (CAD) on a BB cream? Do you think western BB creams are just glorified tinted moisturizers?